Artificial ceiling and suspension means therefor



NOV. 2 1955 w. BARRETT ET AL 2,725,127

[RTIFICIAL CEILING AND SUSPENSION MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 27, 1951 I NVEN TORS LEW/S W BARRETT RON-4L0 E. /f//V6S 7'0N United States Patent 9ARTIFICIAL CEILING AND SUSPENSION MEANS THEREFOR Lewis W. Barrett,Marblehead, and Ronald E. Kingston, Ipswich, Mass., assignors toSylvania Electric Products Inc., Salem, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application February 27, 1951, Serial No. 212,904

2 Claims. (21. 189-88)- This invention relates to artificial ceilingsand more particularly to apparatus for supporting the same.

In many industrial and commercial establishments, and more particularlyin retail stores, conventional ceilings usually serve as the supportingmedium for lighting systems, sprinkler systems, air-conditioning units,ventilating systems, etc. The presence of a multitude of various typesof fixtures depending from the ceiling, in many cases in a non-uniformpattern, detracts considerably from the appearance of the installation.This condition has also been considered objectionable from themerchandising point of view.

One method of overcoming this condition has been to install anartificial ceiling suspended a fixed pre-determined distance beneath themain ceiling and enclosing the lighting fixtures, sprinkler heads,air-conditioning ducts, etc., therebetween. Heretofore artificialceilings have usually been installed in a permanent manner with theseveral members thereof fixedly attached to one another and fixedlyattached to their supports. This arrangement also has its limitationsbecause of the difficulty in gaining access, for maintenance purposes,to the various fixtures described above.

Therefore an object of this invention is to render fixtures which may beenclosed by an artificial ceiling readily accessible.

Another object is the ready and convenient adjustment of the height ofan artificial ceiling.

A further object is to provide a hanger for supporting an artificialceiling.

A further object is to provide a hanger through which the height of anartificial ceiling may be adjusted.

A further object is to provide a hanger which includes means for lockingceiling members thereto to prevent undesirable lateral displacementthereof.

A further object is to provide a hanger through which verticaladjustment of an artificial ceiling may be made without disturbing theinterlocking of the hanger with the several ceiling members.

Further objects, advantages and features of the invention will beapparent from the following description of a specific embodiment thereofwhen read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of an artificial ceiling.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the hanger assembly,partly in section, taken along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary exploded view of the hanger.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, drawn to larger scale than Fig. 1, of a cornercell formed by adjoining panels.

The artificial ceiling of this invention comprises a plurality of panelsconnected to one another and supported by a hanger assembly at theircorners. The hanger assembly is provided with means for effecting arough, approximate ceiling height adjustment usually made duringinstallation and means for effecting a more accurate, fine adjustmentafter the installation has been made. The design and construction of thehanger is ice such that this fine adjustment may be made without the aidof tools and without disturbing the panels.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, the artificial ceiling comprises a plurality ofpanels 1 supported at each of their corners by a hanger assembly 2 whichis attached to a fixed mounting surface 3, such as a permanent ceilingfor example. The panels 1, as illustrated, are of the conventional eggcrate louver design. However, other types of panels, such as translucentplates for example, may be employed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. The panels 1 are substantially rectangular in contourwith each of the corners clipped as at 4. Each panel 1 comprises a frame5 with a plurality of louvers 6 extending longitudinally and laterallytherein. The longitudinal and lateral louvers 6 interlock and arefixedly attached at each end thereof to the frame 5 in which they areenclosed.

The several panels 1 are supported by hanger assemblies 2, one of whichis shown in Figure 2. The hanger assembly 2 comprises a hanger 7 (Fig.3) and a bracket consisting of a pair of adjustable straps 8 and 9 (Fig.2), one end of strap 8 being connected to the hanger 7 and one end ofstrap 9 being attached to the fixed mounting surface 3.

The hanger 7 comprises a supporting head 10 having an elongated bolt 11mounted on the top face thereof, and a dog 12 seated on the top face ofthe head 10, the bolt 11 extending through an aperture 13 in the body 14of the dog 12. The head 10 is provided with a plurality of fins 15 tofacilitate manipulation thereof in eifecting adjustment of the height ofthe panels 1 and to provide a decorative effect. The top face of the supporting head 10 is provided with a plurality of protuberances 16, thepurpose of which is described below. The dog 12 has a plurality of legs17 depending from and a plurality of fingers 18 upstanding from theperiphery of the body member 14.

The hanger 7 (Fig. 2) depends from and is supported by a pair of straps8 and 9, one end of strap 9 being attached to the fixed mounting surface3 by a screw 19. The bolt 11 of the hanger 7 extends through a flange 20on the lower end of strap 8 and is secured thereto by a nut 21. Both ofthe straps 8 and 9 are perforated members, being provided with aplurality of apertures 22 therein. Straps 8 and 9 are secured to oneanother by a screw 23 which extends through matched apertures thereinand by a nut 24.

The first step in installing the artificial ceiling is to attach aplurality of hanger assemblies 2 to the fixed mounting surface 3 withscrews 19, the spacing between each hanger assembly being determined bythe size of the panels 1. A rough approximation of the desired spacingbetween the fixed mounting surface 3 and the panels 1 is made, the strap8 is adjusted longitudinally with reference to strap 9 to effect thisspacing, and the strap 8 is attached to the strap 9 by means of thescrew 23 and the nut 24.

The panels 1 are then seated on the top face of the body 14 of the dog12 with each bolt 11 extending up through an aperture 25 formed by theadjacent clipped corners 4 of the panels 1, and the fingers 18 of dog 12extending into the corner cells 26 of the panels 1. This completes theinstallation of the ceiling except for whatever fine adjustment ofceiling height it may be desirable to make either at the time ofinstallation or on any subsequent occasion.

The fine adjustment of ceiling height, as mentioned above, is veryreadily eifected by manipulation of the head 10. Neither tools nordisturbance of the panels 1 is necessary for the accomplishment of thisadjustment. The head 10 is rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise 3depending on whether the panels 1 are to be raised or we ed- Rota i n ofthe head 10 et ec a ra ng r lowering of the bolt 11, upstanding thereon,in the flange 20 of strap 8. Since the dog 12, on the body portion 14 ofwhich the panels 1 seat, is neither integral with nor attached to thehead 10, the head It may be rotated to effect height adjustment of thepanels 1 without disturbing their interlocking engagement with the dog12. Positive seating of the panels 1 on each dog 12, free fromaccidental disturbance thereof after this fine height adjustment hasbeen made, is insured by the coaction between the legs 17 of dog 12 andthe protuberances 16 on the top face of the head 10. As the head 10 isrotated to effect the height adjustment, the legs 17 of dog 12 ride overthe protuberances 16, of which there are four, on the top face of thehead, thus providing a ratchet-like action. The contour of theseprotuberances is such that when rotation of the head 10 has beencompleted, the legs 17 of the dog 12 will always lie between adjacentprotuberances and hence be locked therebetween and thus preventaccidental disturbance thereof due to vibrations etc.

What we claim is: 1. An artificial ceiling comprising: a plurality ofabut ting panels having clipped corners which define an open ingtherebetween, and each of said panels having an aperture therein at saidclipped corners; and a hanger assembly for supporting said panels at thecorners thereof from a fixed mounting surface, said hanger assemblycomprising a vertically adjustable supporting means, one end of which isfixedly attached to the fixed mounting surface, and a second verticallyadjustable supporting means comprising a bolt threaded into the otherend of the first .ruen ioned of aid vertic l y adjustable supportingmeans and extending through the opening defined by the clipped cornersof the abutting panels, a head on which said bolt is mounted, said headhaving a plurality of upstanding protuberances on the top face thereof,and a dog seated on said head, said .dog having an aperture thereinthrough which said bolt extends, a plurality of fingers upstandingthereon and extending into the apertures at the clipped corners of theabutting panels and a plurality of legs depending therefrom and inengagement with the upstanding protuberances on the top face of saidhead.

2. A panel hanger assembly comprising: a vertically adjustable bracketdepending from a fixed mounting surface: a vertically adjustable boltdepending from said bracket, the head of said bolt having a plurality ofupstanding protuberances on a face thereof; and a dog seated on the headof said bolt, said dog having a plurality of fingers upstanding thereon,and a plurality of legs depending therefrom and in engagement with theupstanding protuberances on the head of said bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,813,909 Brainard et a]. July 14, 1931 1,910,160 Gorrnan May 23, 19332,193,207 Rosen Mar, 12, 1940 2,349,158 Fowles et a1. Ma l6, 19442,376,279 Schlenkert May 15, 1945

